SCOTTISH Slimmers have been searching for the country’s most inspirational losers – men and women who have lost weight, become active, improved their health and learned to love life.

Hundreds of entries were whittled down to 35 men and women, who will compete in the Slimmer of the Year semi-final.

From yummy mummies to hunky husbands, everyone had a story to tell and everyone was a winner after shedding a staggering combined total weight of 235st.

This week, the Record will be telling some of these people’s incredible stories.

Today, it’s the turn of three ladies – Janis Wilson, from Prestonpans, Kelly Williams, from Clydebank, and Joanne Kidd, from West Lothian. These are their weight loss tales.

Janis Wilson

LAST summer, Janis Wilson weighed almost 18st.

The death of her dad eight years ago affected her badly and she turned to food and wine to cheer herself up. Her dad’s brother also died suddenly last year and again Janis turned to the comfort of food.

Janis, a mature student, said: “It’s been a tough few years and I can honestly say that I felt powerless to do anything about it.

“My philosophy was to eat more and drink more to cheer myself up. I didn’t socialise and I avoided seeing people as much as possible.

“I lived in jogging bottoms and I now know my teenage daughter Jessica was embarrassed by my appearance although she didn’t tell me at the time.”

This is the picture that triggered Janis Wilson to lose weight

The turning point for Janis was when a friend invited her to her 40th birthday celebration at a restaurant in Edinburgh last summer.

She said: “When I saw the pictures I was absolutely horrified – I looked hideous.”

Due to start university in September 2013 – and with her own 40th looming a couple of months after that – Janis was talked into attending a Scottish Slimmers class last autumn.

She recalled: “I really didn’t want to go but I reluctantly went with my friend. When I was weighed and measured, I almost died. My waist was 50 in, my hips 52in and I was almost 18st.

“I decided there and then that I had to do something before I was the next member of my family to pass away.”

Once the weight started coming off, Janis’s confidence slowly began coming back.

She said: “I must admit I postponed my 40th birthday celebrations last year but now I feel amazing.

“I’m 100 per cent healthier, I’m 100 per cent happier and my daughter and I have just been on holiday to Vietnam as a belated 40th birthday present.

“I’ve just finished my first year at university and life just couldn’t be better at the moment.”

Kelly Williams

HAVING to squeeze herself into a black dress that was too tight to wear for her Christmas works party was enough to persuade Kelly Williams to slim down.

She said: “It was Christmas 2012 and I felt really down about finding something to wear. Nothing fitted or looked nice and I eventually settled for a black, size 16 dress that was too tight.

“All the other girls were in sparkly, bright-coloured dresses and I just could have cried.”

After seeing the photos from that night Kelly made her New Year’s resolution and joined Scottish Slimmers in January 2013.

Now she is nearly 4st lighter and her life has been transformed.

Party was a low point for Kelly Williams

She said: “I am now a completely different person. I am much happier in myself and love to push myself to take on new challenges.

“I run, I take part in mud runs and last month I climbed Ben Nevis, which I wouldn’t have done in a million years before I lost weight.

“Looking back, my life was just a never-ending cycle of staying in, eating takeaways, sweets and large portions, which made me feel happier at the time and distracted me from the fact I was overweight.

“I tried so many different diets and looking back I was extremely unhappy.

“The Scottish Slimmers eating plan fits round my life and I don’t feel as though I am missing out on anything I like.

“I can socialise, I can eat anything I want, as long as I count my checks.

“My health has also improved so much since losing weight.

“I had problems with an overactive thyroid and felt really sluggish with no energy. I did hardly any exercise and I didn’t sleep well at all.

“Now my energy levels are through the roof and my thyroid levels are normal.

“I feel my life has turned around and I can do anything I want without worrying that my weight might stop me.”

Joanne Kidd

JOANNE Kidd has always been big – she was so used to it that she even signed her emails as Big JoJo.

But all that has changed since the mum of two lost more than 7st.

Joanne, mum to 16-year-old Abbie and 11-year-old Kyle, said: ‘I’ve always been self-conscious of my size and was constantly worried about what people were saying about me.